Marie Theresa Persyn

Marie Theresa (Grosjacques) Persyn passed away peacefully at her home at Country Meadows Village Woodburn, Oregon on 11/1/2014. Marie was born at Kelley’s Island, Lake Erie, Ohio on November 6, 1916. There she lived with her parents Julian and Amanda Grosjacques and her siblings Mary, Vince, Joe and Agnes. When three years old, a Catholic newspaper in German from Mt. Angel, Oregon drew the family to that community. There she lived on the small family farm on the slopes of the Mt Angel Abbey hill where John, Leo and Frank were added to the family. She attended St. Mary’s Grammar School, Mt Angel Academy High School, and Mt Angel Normal School for a teaching credential. She taught classes at the Academy which allowed her to finish her Bachelor Degree in English at Mt Angel College in 1938. Marie excelled in academics and sports. She met Charles Persyn of Mt Angel, and the were married at St Mary’s Church in July, 1938. At that time, Charles was employed as a chemical engineer by Associated Oil Company in the San Francisco Bay area. Living first in Martinez 3 years, in company housing at Avon for 13 years and finally in Concord, she raised 3 sons. She also supported her husband in his career including his community service with the Rotary Club and the Chamber of Commerce. With a calling by her Catholic faith to perform good works in her community, Marie volunteered with Catholic Charities, the American Cancer Society (breast cancer survivor), Bay Area Crisis Nursery, and the American Association of University Women. She also was active in her parish, St Agnes, Concord. Marie, acting as general contractor, had the family home built in Concord in 1957. Over the next decades she helped fill the two acres of land surrounding the home with fruit and evergreen trees, flowers and huge vegetable gardens. With the death of her husband on their 67th anniversary (2005), Marie, in time, realized that she should return to her Oregon home having spent the past 74 years in California. In early 2012, she moved to Country Meadows Village in Woodburn, Oregon. Here she found herself surrounded and loved by family. Marie will be remembered as very caring and gracious throughout her life. She loved to visit with family and friends-all were very special to her. Marie was preceded in death by her husband, Charles, her parents, and all of her siblings, which included brother Vince Joe, Leo, John and Frank Grosjacques and sisters Mary Flury and Agnes Uselman. She is survived by her three sons, Charles (Lois), Allan and Donald (Joyce), seven grandchildren (Suzanne Persyn, Yvonne Tanner, Vin and Tory Persyn, Lalania Olsby, Ben and Seth Persyn) and six great-grandchildren (Sirus, Elizabeth, and Kaylin Persyn, Lucius Vigeant-Persyn, Drew and Dylan Olsby.) At St Mary’s Catholic Church in Mt Angel, Oregon, a combined Rosary and Mass service will be held on Friday November 7, 2014 with the rosary at 10am and the Mass starting at 10:30am. Interment will be held at the Calvary Cemetery, Mt Angel, after which there will be a luncheon at St Mary’s Church hall. In lieu of flowers, you are invited to make a gift to: The Benedictine Foundation of Oregon PO Box 912 Mt Angel, OR 97362

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Marie Theresa Persyn

November 6, 1916 - November 1, 2014